Moore than a feeling
WR is having one of best seasons in Bears history
Coming out of their Week 13 open date, the Bears will look to win consecutive games for the first time since late in the 2021 season while attempting to string together back-to-back NFC North victories for the first time since 2019. The firstplace Lions will visit Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. The Bears and Lions met just three weeks ago with the Lions scoring 17 unanswered points in the final four minutes to steal a 31-26 victory.
With this weekend’s game nearing, here’s a look at a dozen notable numbers and nuggets.
1,003
Receiving yards through 12 games for Bears standout DJ Moore, making him the 13th player and 12th receiver in team history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone for a season. Moore is ninth in the league in receiving yards and is on pace to finish with 1,421, which would rank tied for second on the Bears’ all-time single-season list, matching Alshon Jeffery (2013) and slotting in behind only Brandon Marshall (1,508 in 2012). Moore has been the Bears’ receiving-yards leader in nine of 12 games.
7
Interceptions by the Bears over the last two games, surpassing their total from the first 10 contests, when they had six. The seven picks in the last two games have come from six players, with linebacker T.J. Edwards recording two and Tyrique Stevenson, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon having one each. The Bears haven’t had seven interceptions in a two-game stretch since early in the 2012 season. That defense recorded five interceptions off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on the Monday night stage in Week 4 and two more the next week against Blaine Gabbert and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
8
Interceptions thrown by Lions quarterback Jared Goff in eight starts against the Bears. That includes three in the teams’ game last month at Ford Field and four in a December 2018 contest when the Bears stifled Goff ’s Rams in a 15-6 victory. Goff has a 3.2% career interception rate against the Bears and a 1.9% interception rate against all other opponents. Goff also owns a 5-3 record against the Bears, going 2-1 with the Rams and 3-2 with the Lions.
383
Rushing yards by Justin Fields in his last three games against the Lions. That production has come on 41 attempts and includes two touchdown runs. Fields has thrown for 411 yards in those three games. Fields tied a career high with 18 rushes against the Lions last month and turned those into 104 yards. Fields has five career 100-yard rushing games — three versus the Lions.
140
Receiving yards for Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta in Sunday’s win against the New Orleans Saints. LaPorta had nine catches, including a 13-yard touchdown in his team’s 33-28 victory. He is on pace for 962 yards. Only two rookie tight ends in NFL history have topped 1,000 receiving yards. Bears legend Mike Ditka holds the rookie record at the position, amassing 1,076 yards in a 14-game season in 1961. Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons had 1,026 yards over 17 games two years ago.
28.8
Points per game allowed by the Lions over the last six games. The Lions also have allowed an average of 359 total yards during that time. They have fallen from ninth to 23rd in points allowed since Week 7 began and from seventh to 14th in total yards allowed. The Lions also suffered a big blow up front this week when the team placed defensive tackle Alim McNeill on injured reserve with a knee injury.
9
Teams in the NFC, out of 16, that are at .500 or above. That leaves the conference’s postseason door open with the Vikings and Packers — both at 6-6 — inside the playoff picture. If the playoffs were to start today, the Eagles would earn the NFC’s first-round bye with the 49ers, Lions and Falcons all hosting games on wildcard weekend. The conference’s No. 5 seed would be the Cowboys. The Bears are one of five NFC teams at least four games below .500, joined by the Giants (4-8), Commanders (4-8), Cardinals (3-10) and Panthers (1-11).
2
Playoff games hosted by the Lions during the Super Bowl era. The most recent came in January 1994, when they lost a wild-card-round game 28-24 to the Packers at the Pontiac Silverdome. The organization’s only other home playoff game in the Super Bowl era was a 38-6 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys two seasons earlier in the divisional round. That also registers as the Lions’ lone playoff win during the Super Bowl era.
5
Wins needed by the Bears over their five remaining games to avoid finishing at or below .500 for the 21st time in the last 30 seasons. After an 0-4 start, the Bears have split their last eight games, giving hope to the idea they could put together a December surge to factor into the playoff conversation. More likely, though, the Bears will miss out on the postseason party for the 23rd time in the last 30 seasons. Draft Kings has the Bears as 25-1 long shots to make the playoffs.
23
Fields goals made this season by Bears kicker Cairo Santos, including four in Sunday’s 12-10 win against the Minnesota Vikings. Santos hit the game-winner, a 30-yarder with 10 seconds remaining, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. That was the second time Santos has earned the honor during his time with the Bears, also winning the award in December 2020. Santos led the league in points (41) and field goals made (12) for November and connected on 12 of his 14 field-goal attempts. He is 6-for-6 this season on field-goal attempts of 50 yards or longer, including the 55-yarder against the Vikings.
127
Tackles this season by Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards, which ranks tied for third in the NFL behind Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokon (131) and Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (130). Edwards downplayed his tackle total somewhat Monday. “With linebackers, the No. 1 job is to be around the ball,” he said. “So whether that’s (defending) the run or pass, it’s trying to get to the ball as best as we can. If the tackle’s there, that’s awesome. I want to make those impact plays to help the team.” Edwards has contributes those impact plays also with two interceptions, two sacks, six tackles for a loss, three passes defended, six quarterback hits plus a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
0
Bears offensive linemen who missed practice Wednesday or were limited, positioning that unit for some refreshing continuity. The Bears figure to start Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, Nate Davis and Darnell Wright up front Sunday, which would give that quintet its third consecutive start and mark the first time this season the team has used the same starting line in three consecutive games. In 2022, the Bears had the same starting offensive line for three consecutive games only one time. Jones, Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher and Riley Reiff started together for consecutive losses to the Jets, Packers and Eagles in late November and early December.